This revealing work introduces readers to the mythologies of Native Americans from the United States to the Arctic Circle-a rich; complex; and diverse body of lore; which remains less widely known than mythologies of other peoples and places. In thematic chapters and encyclopedia-style entries; Handbook of Native American Mythology examines the characters and deities; rituals; sacred locations and objects; concepts; and stories that define mythological cultures of various indigenous peoples. By tracing the traditions as far back as possible and following their evolution from generation to generation; Handbook of Native American Mythology offers a unique perspective on Native American history; culture; and values. It also shows how central these traditions are to contemporary Native American life; including the continuing struggle for land rights; economic parity; and repatriation of cultural property. With more than 40 photographs; illustrations; and maps; here is the most comprehensive and accessible introduction to the mythological heritage of Native North Americans available in one volume.
#136090 in Books 2007-09-24Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 5.70 x .60 x 8.80l; .85 #File Name: 0195331273240 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Well-crafted and stimulatingBy HHIn this compelling study; Colin Calloway offers ample evidence for including the year 1763 among the "Pivotal Moments in American History"; the Oxford University Press series to which this book belongs. Calloway states that his intention "is not to retell the familiar story of the growing rift between Britain and her thirteen colonies; nor simply to narrate the events of just one year;" but rather to assess "the enormous changes generated by the Peace of Paris...[and] their impact on many societies and countless lives in North America" (p. 14). Calloway succeeds marvelously. By connecting political events with social and cultural history; Calloway takes his readers on a panoramic tour of North America in the wake of the 1763 Treaty of Paris; the hard-bargained peace accord that formally ended the Seven Years' War (more commonly referred to as the French and Indian War in Britain's American colonies). Borrowing a phrase from Francis Parkman; a nineteenth-century Whig historian with whom Calloway shares little interpretative ground; Calloway illustrates how "the scratch of a pen" in Europe dramatically affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people; including Native Americans; Britons; Canadians; and American colonists (p. 15).Calloway successfully combines a broad portrait of North America with closer inspection of specific regions; important episodes; and interesting individuals. His treatment of the 1763 Indian uprising generally referred to as Pontiac's Rebellion is particularly enlightening; as Calloway makes a thoroughly convincing argument that Native peoples struck the first blows for self-determination and home rule in Britain's new North American empire; rejecting British hegemony more than a decade before the American colonists asserted their own independence. Although Calloway devotes most of the book to canvassing attitudes and conditions found in Indian country; there is ample coverage of events in the thirteen colonies to provide a well-balanced history. Colonial angst over British efforts to preserve the interior of the continent for Native Americans and colonists' resentment against the British government's new and expanded taxation programs are important parts of Calloway's story and crucial developments in the chain of events that ultimately pushed Americans toward open rebellion. Not to be overlooked is Calloway's assessment of Canada and Louisiana. When those two regions changed hands at the end of the war; it immensely impacted the lives of their residents. For this reviewer; those chapters were among the most enlightening and compelling of the book."The Scratch of a Pen" must be included on the list of required readings for any who wish to understand the origins of the American Revolution. By delineating how the peace treaty that ended the Seven Years' War had a more lasting effect in North America than did the war itself; Calloway has greatly bolstered the growing inclination of historians to dig for the roots of American independence in the fertile ground of the final imperial struggle for mastery of North America.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great Overview of an Important; but Not Well Understood; Time in American HistoryBy CaseyThis is a detailed overview of the affects of the French and Indian War. It's not about the war itself; but the consequences of the war and the treaty that ended it. The relations among the English; French and various Native America tribes; were all impacted by the change in the balance of power.The Native Americans had good relations with the French traders. When the British took over the area between the Appalachians and the Mississippi River; the relation with the Indians changed. The British acted less like trade partners and more like conquerors. Jeffrey Amherst was notable in not wanting to placate the Indians; but rather to show them who is the boss. This caused a lot of conflict; like Pontiac's War.In addition to discussing the events in Ohio; Michigan and Indiana; and Ontario; there is also a good overview of the French Acadians and their travel to Louisiana. The Spanish in Florida and the Spanish take over of the French land west of the Mississippi are also covered. These topics are not usually given much coverage in writings about this time between the wars.Some of the comments have mentioned that the book is an overview; and not a comprehensive history. But this period of history is often forgotten and not very well known. An overview is a great introduction. It gives the reader a good understanding of the events. A large; academic tome would be overkill for the average person interested in history.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Easily the very best book I've found so far on ...By Country-music FanEasily the very best book that I've found; so far; on the question of "What was perhaps the single most important reason for which the mid-eighteenth-century colonists in America chose to fight that bloody and quite costly war of independence from England in the first place?".In "The Scratch of a Pen"; author and Dartmouth College history professor Colin Calloway presents us with what I consider an extremely accurate historical account of what began to take place in the American colonies immediately after the Royal Proclamation of 1763 was signed into law by England's King George III. Whether it was Mr. Calloway's intent or not; after reading the book I came away with the fairly firm conclusion that the reason was a fairly simple one: that is; it was mainly because those land-owning; slave-holding elites among the colonists at the time; which included such well-known figures as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson; were fiercely determined to somehow find a way to acquire legal ownership to large tracts of that vast territory that lay west of the Appalachian Mountains which; due to the provisions of the Royal Proclamation; was now officially protected and controlled by England and was more-or-less totally off-limits to all except the local Indian populations and those who were authorized by the British government to trade with them.And so it seems; at this point; that the uncontrollable desires of the wealthiest of those "elites" to acquire portions of that territory for themselves - one way or another - was just too much to resist; and plans were almost immediately set into motion by them which led; approximately thirteen years later; to the signing of The Declaration of Independence and to the protracted war that followed. ("And the rest"; they say; "is history")A highly recommended book for anyone who is interested in American history; and especially recommended for those; like me; who have always had a somewhat difficult time believing that the American Revolution was fought due mainly to the founding fathers' overwhelming respect for the concepts of "liberty and freedom" and to their supposed "outrage" over the price of tax stamps and tea.
